16. Paul enumerates some gross and unpardonable vices--fornication, or unchast.i.ty, and covetousness. He speaks also of these in Ephesians 5, 3-5 and in First Thessalonians 4, 3-7, as we have heard in the epistle lessons for the second and third Sundays in Lent. He enjoins Christians to guard against these sins, to be utterly dead to them.
For they are sensual, acknowledged such even among the gentiles; while we strive after the perfect purity becoming souls who belong to Christ and in heaven. It is inc.u.mbent upon the Christian to preserve his body modest, and holy or chaste; to refrain from polluting himself by fornication and other unchast.i.ty, after the manner of the world.
17. Similarly does the apostle forbid covetousness, to which he gives the infamous name of idolatry in the effort to make it more hideous in the Christian"s eyes, to induce him to shun it as an abominable vice intensely hated of G.o.d. It is a vice calculated to turn a man wholly from faith and from divine worship, until he regards not, nor seeks after, G.o.d and his Word and heavenly treasures, but follows only after the treasures of earth and seeks a G.o.d that will give him enough of earthly good.
18. Much might be said on this topic were we to consider it relative to all orders and trades in succession. For plainly the world, particularly in our day, is completely submerged in the vice of covetousness. It is impossible to enumerate the subtle arts it can invent, and the good and beautiful things it knows how to pa.s.s off whereunder it masks itself as a thing not to be considered sinful, but rather extremely virtuous and indicative of uprightness. And so idolatry ever does. While before G.o.d it is the worst abomination, before the world its appearance and reputation are superior. So far from being recognized as sin, it is considered supreme holiness and divine worship.
The very worship of Mammon wears an imposing mask. It must not be called covetousness or dishonest striving after property, but must be known as upright, legitimate endeavor to obtain a livelihood, a seeking to acquire property honestly. It ingeniously clothes itself with the Word of G.o.d, saying G.o.d commands man to seek his bread by labor, by his own exertions, and that every man is bound to provide for his own household. No civil government, no, nor a preacher even, can censure covetousness under that guise unless it be betrayed in gross robbing and stealing.
19. Let every man know that his covetousness will be laid to the charge of his own conscience, that he will have to answer for it, for G.o.d will not be deceived. It is evident the vice is gaining ground.
With its false appearance and ostentation, and its world-wide prevalence, it is commonly accepted as legal. Without censure or restraint, men are engrossed in coveting and acc.u.mulating to the utmost. Those having position and power think they have the right to acquire by violence as much as they can, daily making a.s.sessments and imposts, and new oppressions and impositions upon the poor. And the common rabble seek gain by raising prices, by extortion, fraud, and so on. Yet all desire not to be charged with wrong-doing; they would not they should be called unchristian on account of their conduct. Indeed, such excess of covetousness obtains that the public robbing and stealing, and the faithlessness and fraud, of the meanest hirelings, servants and maids everywhere can no longer be restrained.
20. But who would care to recount the full extent of this vice in all dealings and interests of the world between man and man? Enough has been said to induce every one who aims to be a Christian to examine his own heart and, if he find himself guilty of such vice, to refrain; if not, to know how to guard against it. Every individual can readily perceive for himself what is consistent with Christian character in this respect, what can be allowed with a good conscience; for he has Christ"s rule of dealing as we would be dealt with, which insures equality and justice. Where unfairness exists, covetousness must obtain to some extent.
21. If you will not desist from the vice of covetousness, then know you are not a Christian, not a believer, but, as Paul calls you, a base, detestable idolater, having no part in G.o.d"s kingdom; for you are living wholly to the world and without intent to rise with Christ.
You will receive no blessing from the joy-inspiring and gracious revelation that Christ died and rose for sinners. You cannot say, "Therefore he died for me, I trust." Truly, Christ died for you, but if you continue in your wickedness, using this revelation as a cloak for your mean covetousness, do not--such is the declaration of the text--by any means apply that comforting promise to yourself. Although Christ indeed died and rose for all, yet unto you he is not risen; you have not apprehended his resurrection by faith. You have seen the smoke but have not felt the fire; you have heard the words but have received nothing of their power.
THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.
22. If you would be able honestly to boast of this revelation as unto you, if you would have the comfort of knowing that Christ, through his death and resurrection, has blessed you, you must not continue in your old sinful life, but put on a new character. For Christ died and rose for the very purpose of effecting your eventual death with him and your partic.i.p.ation in his resurrection: in other words, he died that you might be made a new man, beginning even now, a man like unto himself in heaven, a man having no covetous desire or ambition for advantage over a neighbor, a man satisfied with what G.o.d grants him as the result of his labor, and kind and beneficent to the needy.
23. In his desire to arouse Christians to the necessity of guarding against such vices as he mentions, Paul strengthens his admonition, in conclusion, by grave threats and visions of divine wrath, saying, "for which things" sake cometh the wrath of G.o.d upon the sons of disobedience"; that is, upon the unbelieving world, which regards not the Word of G.o.d, does not fear or believe in it nor strive to obey it, and yet is unwilling to be charged with idolatry and other unchristian principles, desiring rather to be considered righteous and G.o.d"s own people.
In the last quoted clause Paul also implies that worldly conduct, the life of worldly l.u.s.ts such as covetousness and other vices, is inconsistent and impossible with faith, and that the power of Christ"s resurrection cannot reach it. For this reason he terms them "sons of disobedience," who have not faith and who, by their unchristian conduct, bring G.o.d"s wrath upon themselves and are cast out from the kingdom of G.o.d. G.o.d seriously pa.s.ses sentence against such conduct, declaring he will reveal his wrath against it in bodily punishment in this world and eternal punishment in the world hereafter. Elsewhere Paul says practically the same thing (Eph 5, 6): "For because of these things cometh the wrath of G.o.d upon the sons of disobedience." See also Rom 1, 18.
24. Such is the admonition of Paul unto all who would be called Christians. He reminds them whereunto the Gospel of Christ calls them and what his resurrection should work in them--death to all life and doctrine not in harmony with G.o.d"s Word and G.o.d"s will--and that if they believe in the risen and living Christ, they, as risen with him, should seek after the same heavenly life where he sits at the right hand of G.o.d, a life where is no sin nor worldly error, but eternal life and imperishable treasures to be possessed and enjoyed with Christ forever.
25. But the revelation of Christ"s resurrection can be apprehended by nothing but faith. The things Paul here tells us of life and glory for Christians in the risen Christ are not apparent to the world; in fact, Christians themselves do not perceive them by external sense. Notice, he says, "Ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in G.o.d." The world does not understand the Christian life and has no word of praise for it; it is hostile to the faith and cannot tolerate the fact that you believe in Christ and refuse to join hands with it in love for worldly l.u.s.ts. A hidden life indeed is the Christian"s; not only hidden to the world, but, so far as external perception goes, to the Christian himself. Nevertheless, it is a life sure and in safe keeping, and in the hereafter its glory shall be manifest to all the world. For Paul says:
"When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory."
26. Here is comfort for Christians in this earthly life where, though they receive the doctrine of Christ and apprehend him by faith, their resurrection seems to the world and to their own perceptions untrue; where they must contend with sin and infirmities and moreover are subject to much affliction and adversity; and where consequently they are extremely sensible of death and terror when they would experience joy and life. In this verse Paul comforts them, showing them where to seek and surely apprehend their life.
27. Be of good cheer, he would say, for ye are dead to the worldly life. This life ye must renounce, but in so doing ye make a precious exchange. Dying unto the world is a blessed experience, for which ye will obtain a life far more glorious. Ye are now, through Christ"s death, redeemed from sin and from death eternal and are made imperishable. Upon you is conferred everlasting glory. But this risen life ye cannot yet perceive in yourselves; ye have it in Christ, through faith.
Christ is spoken of as "our life." Though the life is still unrevealed to you, it is certain, insured to you beyond the power of any to deprive you of it. By faith in Christ"s life, then, are ye to be preserved and to obtain victory over the terrors and torments of sin, death and the devil, until that life shall be revealed in you and made manifest to men.
In Christ ye surely possess eternal life. Nothing is lacking to a perfect realization except that the veil whereby it is hidden so long as we are in mortal flesh and blood, is yet to be removed. Then will eternal life be revealed. Then all worldly, terrestrial things, all sin and death, will be abolished. In every Christian shall be manifest only glory. Christians, then, believing in Christ, and knowing him risen, should comfort themselves with the expectation of living with him in eternal glory; the inevitable condition is that they have first, in the world, died with him.
28. Paul does not forget to recognize the earthly environment of Christians and saints, for he says: "Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth." Though acknowledging Christians dead with Christ unto worldly things and possessing life in Christ, he yet tells them to mortify their members on earth, and enumerates the sins of fornication, covetousness, etc.
This is truly a strange idea, that it should be necessary for men who have died and risen with Christ and hence have been made really holy, to mortify worldly inclinations in their bodily members. The apostle refers to this subject in Romans 7: 5, 8, 23, and elsewhere, frequently explaining how, in the saints, there continue to remain various l.u.s.ts of original sin, which constantly rise in the effort to break out, even gross external vices. These have to be resisted. They are strong enough utterly to enslave a man, to subject him to the deepest guilt, as Paul complains (Rom 7, 23); and they will surely do it unless the individual, by faith and the aid of the Holy Spirit, oppose and conquer them.
29. Therefore, saints must, by a vigorous and unceasing warfare, subdue their sinful l.u.s.ts if they would not lose G.o.d"s grace and their faith. Paul says in Romans 8, 13: "If ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live." In order, then, to retain the Spirit and the incipient divine life, the Christian must contend against himself.
This cannot be accomplished by the monastic hypocrisies wherewith some expect to resist sin. For the pollution of sin is not merely something adhering to the clothing, or to the skin externally, and easily washed off. It is not something to be discharged from the body by fasting and castigation. No, it penetrates the flesh and blood and is diffused through the whole man. Positive mortification is necessary or it will destroy one. And this is how to mortify sin: It must be perceived with serious displeasure and repented of; and through faith Christ"s forgiveness must be sought and found. Thus shall sinful inclinations be resisted, defeated and restrained from triumphing over you. More has been said on this topic elsewhere.
_Sunday After Easter_
Text: First John 5, 4-12.
4 For whatsoever is begotten of G.o.d overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. 5 And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of G.o.d? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. 7 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of G.o.d is greater: for the witness of G.o.d is this, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of G.o.d hath the witness in him: he that believeth not G.o.d hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that G.o.d hath borne concerning his Son. 11 And the witness is this, that G.o.d gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of G.o.d hath not the life.
VICTORIOUS FAITH.
1. This epistle selection was primarily arranged for this particular Sunday because it treats of baptism and of the new birth of the believing Christian. It was in former time customary in the Church to baptize immediately after Easter those who had accepted the Christian faith and had been instructed in its precepts. This day is also called "Dominicam in albis," and by us Germans "Weiszer Sonntag" (White Sunday), because the candidates for baptism were clad in white linen as indicative of their cleansing and new birth; just as today children to be baptized are arrayed in a white christening-robe.
THE NEW BIRTH.
2. While this lesson does not treat of the resurrection of Christ, it has reference to its fruits: faith, the very essence of Christianity, here expressed as being born of G.o.d; and the evidence of the Holy Spirit, received through baptism, which a.s.sures us we are children of G.o.d and have, through Christ, eternal life and all blessings.
3. Though John"s language is, as usual, plain and simple, yet, in the ears of men generally, it is unusual and unintelligible. The world estimates it as similar to the prattle of children or fools. What, according to the world"s construction, is implied by the statement, "Whatsoever is begotten [born] of G.o.d overcometh the world?"
Overcoming the world, the unconverted would understand to mean bringing into subjection to oneself every earthly thing and a.s.suming the position of sovereign of the world. Yet more absurd in the ears of this cla.s.s is the saying that we must be born of G.o.d. "Did one ever hear of such a thing," they might exclaim, "as children born of G.o.d?
It would be less ridiculous to say we must be born of stones, after the idea of the heathen poets." To the world there is no birth but physical birth. Hence such doctrine as our lesson sets forth will ever be strange, unintelligible, incomprehensible, to all but Christians.
But the latter speak with new tongues, as Christ in the last chapter of Mark (verse 17) says they shall, for they are taught and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
4. Clearly, then, when the Scriptures speak of being born of G.o.d, it is not in a human sense; the reference is not to the conditions of our temporal lives, but to those exalted ones of a future existence. To say we must be born of G.o.d is equivalent to saying that if man is to be redeemed from sin and eternal death, to enter into the kingdom of G.o.d and into happiness, his physical birth will not suffice; all which nature, reason, free-will and human endeavor may afford is inadequate.
Physical birth, it is true, answers for everything in the way of temporal possession and achievement, everything great, powerful, n.o.ble, rich, wise, learned; in short, every exalted and desirable thing of earth. But all such possession and achievement serves only the physical existence; it is swept away by death, to which event it is ever subject.
Hence becomes necessary a new and different birth, a birth more significant than that of the natural man even in the case of emperors, kings, or the wisest and most influential of earth. For as Isaiah says (ch. 40, 6): "All flesh is gra.s.s, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The gra.s.s withereth, the flower fadeth." The demand is for a divine birth, a birth in which parentage is wholly of G.o.d; a birth signifying the operation of G.o.d"s divine power in man, a power achieving something beyond the attainment of his natural capacities and effecting in him new understanding and a new heart.
5. The process is this: When the individual hears the Gospel message of Christ--a message revealed and proclaimed not by the wisdom and will of man, but through the Holy Spirit--and sincerely believes it, he is justly recognized as conceived and born of G.o.d. John in his gospel (ch. 1, 12) says: "As many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of G.o.d, even to them that believe on his name." And in the first verse of the chapter including our text, he tells us: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of G.o.d." Through that faith, for the sake of his Son, G.o.d accepts us as his children, pleasing to him and heirs of eternal life; and the Holy Spirit will be sent into our hearts, as is explained later.
6. This doctrine condemns those arrogant teachers who presumptuously expect to be justified before G.o.d by their own merits and works. They imagine that their wisdom, learning, good judgment, intelligence, fair reputation and morality ent.i.tle them, because of the good they are thus enabled to do, to the favor of G.o.d and to reception up into heaven. But the Scriptures clearly teach the very reverse, that all these things are nothing in the eyes of G.o.d. It is sheer human effort; it is not being born of G.o.d. However wise and powerful you might be, if even the n.o.blest, most beautiful, fruit human nature can produce, you could not see the kingdom of G.o.d unless you became a wholly different person, unless you were born anew, according to Christ"s words in John 3, 3. And this is something impossible to your natural powers. You certainly cannot make yourself of other parentage than you are. G.o.d must begin the work in you, communicating his seed--his Word--by virtue of which the Holy Spirit operates in you, enabling you, by faith, to cling to the promise, as said before.
7. Now, he who is thus born of G.o.d, John declares, overcomes the world. Verily, this is a significant and forcible a.s.sertion the Holy Spirit makes; it represents a tremendous power, a great work. The child of G.o.d must, indeed, attempt and accomplish great things. The birth effected through the Word and faith makes men true sovereigns, above all earthly rulers; it gives them power even to overcome the world, something impossible to any Roman or Turkish potentate. They effect not their victory by physical force or temporal power, but by the spiritual birth, through faith. As John says immediately after the clause we are discussing, "This is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith." Here is his own explanation of what he means by being born of G.o.d.
THE TWO KINGDOMS.
8. Now, in order to understand the nature of the spiritual victory and how it is effected, we must know just what John means by the term "world." The reference is not to dominion over territory, to property or money. He implies the existence of two kingdoms. In one, the kingdom of G.o.d, the heavenly kingdom of Christ, is included, first, the angels in heaven, who are the chief lords, the inner circle of counselors; second, the entire Christian Church on earth, under one head, Christ the Lord and King. In the other kingdom, the h.e.l.lish kingdom, the devil is prince, and his mighty counselors and servants are the angels who with him fell from heaven; it also includes the world, those on earth who teach, believe and live contrary to Christ, who represent the heathen, the Jews, the Turks and false Christians.
By the heavenly kingdom of G.o.d we must understand, not only spiritual life and G.o.dly people, but the lord and regent of that kingdom--Christ with his angels, and his saints both living and dead. Thus, too, the kingdom of the world represents not only the earthly life with its worldly interests, but particularly its lord and regent--the devil and his angels, and all unchristian, G.o.dless, wicked people on earth. So, when John says, "Whatsoever is begotten of G.o.d overcometh the world,"
he means by "world" the devil and his whole earthly dominion.
9. Now, the workings of these two kingdoms are plainly evident, though the leaders--Christ the Lord, and the devil--are not visible to mortal eyes. Christ rules direct and effectually, in his own power, through the Word and through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, maintaining them in the faith and in the knowledge of his Word, and protecting from the devil"s wrath and subtlety; further, he rules through his angels, who guard his followers; again, he rules through his people themselves, who exercise authority one over another in loving service, each teaching, instructing, comforting and admonishing a n.o.ble little band of G.o.dly, obedient, patient, chaste, kind, tractable, benevolent souls.
The nature of the devil"s kingdom, the manner of life the world leads, is easily apparent. This kingdom is simply a huge booth filled with faithless, shameless, wicked individuals, impelled by their G.o.d to every sort of disobedience, ingrat.i.tude and contempt of G.o.d and his Word; to idolatry, false doctrine, persecution of Christians and the practice of all wantonness, mischief, wickedness and vice.
10. These two kingdoms are opposed. They continually contend for the crown; they war with each other for supremacy. Christians are brought into the conflict to hold the field against G.o.d"s enemy, whose rule of the world is one of falsehood and murder; they must contend with the enemy"s servants, his horde of factious spirits and basely wicked individuals, in an effort to restrain evil and promote good.
Christians must be equipped for the fray; they must know how to meet and successfully resist the enemy, how to carry the field unto victory, and hold it.